Blog Archives

Ethiopian prayer

10/31/2016

How about this Ethiopian prayer? Do we need any other, or does this say it all?

God, you have prepared in peace the path I must follow today. Help me to walk straight on that path. If I speak, remove lies from my lips. If I am hungry, take away from me all complaint. If I have plenty, destroy pride in me. May I go through the day calling on you, you, O Lord, who know no other Lord. (From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime, by Phyllis Tickle.)

Pray for your enemies~

10/28/2016

     “Pray for your enemies,” we are told, which sounds like a good idea. It IS a good idea. But what does it mean?
       Enemies is a harsh word. In fact, I don’t have any harsh enemies. It’s not my way. However, I make people my enemies when I judge them. The judgment is the enemy because it keeps me from atonement, at-one-ment with God. If I can pray for my enemies by releasing all judgments, then they won’t be enemies. I will just have atonement--love.
        It sounds like a good idea. It IS a good idea, but one I will have to work on for as long as I live. Late in her 101 year old life, my mom would bring up the subject. She, who was very close to God, was still working on it, knowing deep in her heart that judging was a barrier to love.

Returning to the Jesus Prayer~

10/26/2016

I’ve returned to my abbreviated version of Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me. For a while I tried substituting it with Maranatha, Come, Jesus, Come, but I realized the Jesus Prayer is ‘hard wired’ in me. Plus, it calls me to a deeper place with God, a place of humility. Although I’m sticking with, I realize that calling on Jesus to be present with me has an important place in my repertoire of mantras.

Kingdom of God

10/21/2016

What is the kingdom of God? Can we attain it now? If everyone was loving, would that be it? And then, what would we strive for? Would we have purpose? If we reach the kingdom at death, why not put our own needs before those of others? The questions go on and on.
I believe that when we are loving we experience being in the Kingdom of God, and that in those moments we have the opportunity to help others be in God’s presence as well.

Maranatha

10/17/2016

I’ve been practicing the Jesus Prayer for at least eight years, so it’s become quite automatic. Throughout the day I notice myself saying/thinking: Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner. I hardly ever say the sinner part and yet, in spite of that, recently I have sensed that the prayer is feeding me negativity. Don’t get me wrong. I am a sinner and Ido need mercy, but that’s doesn’t define who I am or what God is calling me to be or do. What I need is Jesus in my life so I can shed his light as I pray for others and on me. That is what God is telling me.
Consequently, in the past few days, as I’ve shifted to Maranatha, Come, Jesus, Come, and this morning I have chosen not to listen to or read the news today. Immediately the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual light is brighter.

Prayers of the people~

10/12/2016

I just signed onto
Prayers of the People prayers@prayersofthepeople.org,
“This prayer practice online began at Episcopal Church General Convention in 2015. It is supported by the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer (Canada) and the monks of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist - men of prayer, helping people pray their lives.

At noon each day I’ll receive an email featuring one of the seven principal prayers, and will be encouraged to write my own prayer and post it on social media. Well, I’ll see how that goes, but for a start, I love the concise summary of different prayers, how to begin praying, as well as being connected to praying people around the world.

The seven principal prayers are #prayersof
    #adoration            God of love                 I adore you
    #praise              God of glory                I praise you
   #thanksgiving          God of grace               I give you thanks
   #penitence            God of forgiveness      I am sorry
   #oblation              God of vision                I offer to you
   #intercession           God of compassion   I pray for
   #petition              God of the ages            I ask your help

Mary, Mother of God

10/8/2016

I love my membership to the Museum of Russian Icon in Clinton, MA. Every time I go a different docent tell something new. However, Mary is always referred to as The Mother of God, because that is what is important about her, not her given name, which was very common in Palestine during the time Jesus’ birth. In fact, all the different Marys are difficult to identify. For example, in John 19:25, who are all the Marys? And yet, it is worth noting that his mother is referred to as just that. Maybe that’s where it all began.
Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

Praying to do the best we can~

10/5/2016

How easy it is to regret a decision we have made, even if we have made it prayerfully. That demon of the ego, guilt, creeps in. The following quote from Emmet Fox helped me today. Maybe it will comfort you.

When you have to make a decision or take a certain action, all that you can do is to do the best you know at that time, and if you do that you will have done your duty. In the light of after events it may turn out that you made a mistake, but that will not be your fault because you could not possibly to better than the best you did at the time.
Claim that the Christ is guiding you; and believe it; and the ultimate outcome will be favorable even if things seem to go wrong for a time.
And the Lord shall guide thee continually… (Isaiah 58:11).

Call is love~

10/1/2016

When I consider Christian mission, I ask what God is calling us to do. For many years I’ve heard and come to believe that God is calling me to pray for people. With that, questions arise. What does it mean? How do I do it? How do I know I’m doing it right; that God is listening; that it makes a difference? The answers I hear come not from my mind but from my heart. They have to do with love.
God is love, so whatever God calls us to do is one of the myriad ways in the world we can show love. When I pray with an open heart, that is with love, without judgments or conditions, I know my prayer makes a difference. That is enough for me.